People Moves: Brit Re Names Partner Re’s Ex-CEO Bonneau as Non-Executive Director; Optio Group Taps AXA’s Soni as Group CEO

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Brit Re and the managing general agent Optio Group.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Brit Re Names Partner Re’s Ex-CEO Bonneau as Non-Executive Director

Brit Ltd. announced the appointment of Jacques Bonneau to the board of Brit Re as a non-executive director, subject to regulatory approval.

Bonneau retired as CEO and president of PartnerRe in March 2024, and is a highly regarded leader within the global re/insurance sector, Brit said. Other positions Bonneau has held in his career include a number of senior executive roles at Chubb and senior adviser to the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA).

Based in Bermuda, Bonneau will bring considerable experience, insight and relationships which will be of deep value to Brit as it embarks on a strategic plan to significantly expand its presence in Bermuda across property, casualty and specialty reinsurance, the company added.

“We are delighted to appoint Jaques to the Board of Brit Re and believe welcoming an individual of his standing in the industry reflects our intent for Brit in Bermuda. We look forward to benefiting from his expertise and network,” commented Martin Thompson, CEO Brit Group.

“Building out Brit Re to write a broader range of business is a natural next step for us. Bermuda is a dynamic and thriving multi-class re/insurance market and we are excited about the opportunity to attract new local specialist talent to work alongside Brit’s existing reinsurance underwriting capabilities in London,” said Jon Sullivan, group chief underwriting officer.

Graham Pewter, chairman of Brit Re, said: “We welcome Jacques to the Brit Re board. His appointment will support our Bermudian growth ambitions as well as deepening the board’s experience and strengthening our governance.”

A subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings, Brit underwrites commercial specialty insurance with a focus on property, casualty and energy business.

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Optio Group Taps AXA’s Soni as Group CEO

Optio Group, the London-based specialty MGA, announced the appointment of Deepak Soni as chief executive officer.

Soni joins Optio Group from AXA, where he served as commercial director of AXA Insurance Co. for the past nine years, playing a pivotal role in executing AXA’s UK commercial strategy and growing the business. Throughout his tenure at AXA, Soni held multiple senior positions, overseeing its SME, direct-to-consumer, delegated authority, and specialty lines businesses.

Prior to joining AXA in 2015, he spent nine years at Hiscox in various senior roles, including head of Hiscox Direct Commercial, following an early career as a broker at Aon for three years.

The appointment of Soni as CEO has been a long-anticipated and carefully considered decision by the Optio board and its private equity partners, Preservation Capital Partners, the company said in a statement.

Soni brings extensive experience, strategic vision, and a proven track record of building businesses, positioning him perfectly to lead Optio through its next phase of global expansion and profitable growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, the statement added.

Topics AXA XL